FINDING LOST CIVILIZATIONS This

Petroglyph site below Pablo’s cow pasture, Zacualpan, Mexico.Unfortunately, the history of this once-thriving and ancientcommunity is lost. What is known is that the originalpeople of this region were known as the Tecoxquine orTequectequi, which translates to “Head or Throat Cutters.”This name apparently derived from the Tecoxquine religiouspractice of using warrior prisoners for sacrifice; their severedheads were later offered in a ritual ceremony to theirgods. They inhabited an extensive region covering the entiresouthern coast of the State of Nayarit and the neighboringcoastal and mountain regions of Jalisco. They were mainlyfarmers, fishermen, salt producers, and traders in cacao andcotton. The Tecoxquine were organized in a series of villagesunder the control of Teuzacualpan in the Chila Valley,the modern-day town of Zacualpan. Apparently, theircommercial links allowed them to establish intensive trade,which reached the southern portion of the State of Sinaloaand to Michoacan in the southeast.130